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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227803">audentes fortuna iuvat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/daretogobeyondtheunknown/pseuds/daretogobeyondtheunknown'>daretogobeyondtheunknown</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Half of It (2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, F/F, Future Fic, Light-Hearted, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:49:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24227803</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/daretogobeyondtheunknown/pseuds/daretogobeyondtheunknown</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“What happened to a couple of years?”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ellie Chu/Aster Flores</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>174</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>audentes fortuna iuvat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What happened to a couple of years?”</p><p>Hands buried in the pockets of her denim jacket Aster shrugged, rocking back and forth on the slight heel of her favourite boots, “Didn’t need it, I guess.”</p><p>Arms hanging limply by her side, Ellie raised her brow curiously, “Didn’t need it? Really?”</p><p>“Yeah,” Aster hummed as she motioned her chin towards Ellie, “Can I come in?”</p><p>“That depends,” Ellie answered, arms crossing protectively over her chest, as the petite stature of her frame filled the doorway as best it could. </p><p>“On?”</p><p>“Why you’re here.”</p><p>Glancing up and down the empty hallways of the West Grinnell dorms Aster shrugged again, the action all too familiar and a staple go to, “I thought I should see you.”</p><p>“You could have just answered my text.”</p><p>A soft chuckle, maybe a little more self depreciating than humour filled in nature, bounced off the walls, “Should I have?”</p><p>“Probably” remarked Ellie. This was no Squahamish and there were no <em> five minute drives </em> anywhere except maybe to cross the street, “I mean, it would have made more sense.”</p><p>The corner of her lips curled upward as Aster took a small step forward, “I thought you liked bold,” she mused. </p><p>“Well- I-,” Ellie stammered as a red glow crept onto her cheeks, “Yes. But practical too. You have an exam tomorrow."</p><p>"Maybe I needed inspiration," Aster retorted, grinning ear to ear, "So, can I?”</p><p>Choking, Ellie wheezed, “Wha-?”</p><p>“Come in, nerd," eyes twinkling Aster asked, "What are you thinking?”</p><p>“You show up at my door in the middle of the night-”</p><p>“It’s eight in the evening, El,” Aster cut in, “Hardly the middle of the night.”</p><p>“Basically the middle of the night when someone has the most important exam of their entire academic career in the morning,” Ellie retorted with a huff, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.</p><p>“Okay grama,” Aster teased, pointing with her left hand still buried in the confines of her jacket, “So can I come and tuck you in?”</p><p>Standing firm Ellie shook her head, “No. I won’t be held responsible for your decision to single handedly sabotage your artistic career. Not even if you’re this unending ocean of thoughts with eyes that scintillate more than any diamond and this laugh that just- what’s so funny?”</p><p>“Sorry, it’s just,” wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, Aster smiled. All it took was a gentle tug, fingers bunched into the outermost of the Russian doll layers Ellie wore to bring her tumbling into Aster’s orbit, “You’re kinda cute when you worry.”</p><p>“Cute?” Ellie sputtered, flailing wildly to regain some semblance of balance, “Have you hit your beautiful head? This. Is. Your. Future.”</p><p>“Bit much. It’s just a piece for a summer internship,” Aster replied with a slight tilt to her head, “I finished it. Today.”</p><p>“Your future or your sanity because both seem rather concerning at this point.”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Aster pulled Ellie closer, “The piece for my internship application, thank you very much. Which is why,” Aster whispered into Ellie’s lips, “ I’m here. So, can I come in?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>It is only together when we truly become great. Anyone is welcome to play off the open ending.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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